Spark adjusting tool



v Feb. 21, 1939. .1. E. TAYLQR v 2,148,222

SPARK ADJUSTING TOOL Filed July 7, 1938 Patented Feb. 21, 1939 Joseph Edward Taylor,

Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Gulf Research & Development Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJuly 7, 1938, Serial N0. 218,031

6 Claims.

I justing the distributor setting on internal'combustion engines, including in combination alever arm, a clamping memberpivotally attached to the lever arm and constructed and arranged to be clamped on a stationary support adjacent the engine, and link means pivotally attached to the lever arm, at a point difierent from the point of attachment of the clamping member, and constructed and arranged to engage the distributor, so that upon aiiixing the tool to the engine the spark setting can be adjusted by said lever; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed. Correct adjustment oi. spark timing is essential for internal combustion engines, to secure proper operation. In such engines, the spark is made in the several cylinders at predetermined times, with the aid oi. a distributor-which comprises a breaker mechanism, and a rotary contactor arm and a cooperating annular housing containing contact segments wired to the spark plugs. Upon rotation of the arm the electric impulse produced by the breaker mechanism is directed to each of the several cylinders in turn, through the rotating armand the segments and wires. The angular setting ofthe breaker mechanism determines the spark timing, that is, determines the interval between the arrival of each piston at topdead center and the firing of the spark in the cylinder.

Engines require different spark timing under other condition. However, in testing and adjusting engines, it is necessary to set the distributor manually, during operation of the engine, so that torque or speed can be measured at different spark settings, and the best setting determined. This is a difiicult operation in some types of automobile engines, because of the inaccessibility of the distributor. In some types of engines it has been impossible to make the adjustmen while the engine is running.

According to'the present invention, there is provided a, tool for adjusting engine distributors, which can .be readily applied to the engine and removed therefrom, and which permits ready ad- .iustment, whether the engine be running or stationary.

The tool will be described embodied in a form adapted for use with one particular type ofautomobile engine, which has its distributor mounted at the front endof the crankshaft, and a generator above the distributor. Because of the lo cation of the radiator, fan, etc., the distributor is very inaccessible for ordinary tools.

The tool comprises a handled lever arm, a pivoted clamp bracket for attaching the arm to a convenient and accessible fixed support adjacent the engine or automobile, and a link for connecting the lever to the adjustable part of the distributor during the test. By simply moving the lever arm, the spark timing can be set at will. Means are provided for adjustably holding the arm in fixed position against engine vibration, during the test.

In the accompanying drawing, there is shown, more or less diagrammatically, an exampleuof a specific embodiment of apparatus within the purview of the invention. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view of the tool in side elevation, shown as attached to an engine; 1

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the tool of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows a spring washer as used in the tool.

The drawing shows a form of the tool adapted for use with one conventional type of automobile engine, which has a distributor casing I0 arranged at the front end of the crankshaft (not shown) and a generator II, retained by a fork I2, a bolt I3 and a clamping nut I4, adjacent to the engine and retained to a fixed part thereof (not shown). The engine proper is not shown on the drawing. The spark timing is determined by angular adjustment of a. member I5 in the distributor casing, which has a threaded hole I6, as shown, for reception of a locking screw (not shown) engaging a segment I1 and arranged to normally look the member in some fixed position.

The tool comprises a bracket or clamp I8, having a C-shaped collar I9 arranged to be clamped on nut I4 by means of a screw 20. A bent lever 22 is pivotally attached to the bracket by means of a screw bolt 24 threaded into the bracket at 25 and locked by a nut 26, forming a fixed fulcrum for the lever. A springy washer 21 (Fig. 3) is interposed between the bolt and the lever arm, so that by suitable adjustment oi the bolt the frictional torque resistance between the lever arm and the bracket can be adjusted.

A rod or link 30 is provided, having a stub portion 3i extending through a hole 32 in the lever arm, and having a washer 33 welded or brazed thereto at 34 to provide a smooth bearing surface. The stub portion is retained to the lever arm by a spring 35, washer 36 and cotter pin 31.

At the lower end of the rod is detachably pivoted a connection pin 40, having a flattened head 4| bored at 42 to receive a stud 43 formed on the lower end of the rod, as shown. The pin is threaded at 44 so that it can be screwed into hole l6, as shown, during use of the tool. A shoulder 45 on the pin rests loosely on segment l1, retaining the segment but not binding it. The pin is detachable from the rod, as is apparent from the figures.

The mode of operation of the tool is as follows: The bracket is clamped on the generator nut, in the position shown in Fig. 1, the pin is screwed into the adjustable part of the distributor, and the end of the rod is inserted in the pin, so that the arrangement of the tool appears as in Fig. 1. Then by simply moving the handle up and down, the spark timing is advanced or retarded as desired. The frictional connection between the lever and the bracket is sufilcient to hold the adjustment at any desired position during a test. At the end of a test, the tool is removed, and the distributor locked in a known way.

The tool has proved to be eminently convenient and reliable in practice, and by varying the relative size and positions of the various parts it can be embodied in forms appropriate for engines of types other than that referred to.

I claim: 1

l. A tool for adjusting the distributor setting in internal combustion engines comprising a bracket member adapted to be clamped to a fixed support adjacent the engine, a member adapted to be attached to the distributor, and a mechanical connection between said two members constructed and arranged for varying the relative position of the attachment member with respect to the support member, said mechanical connection including a sliding friction joint, and means for adjusting the frictional resistance of said joint.

2. A tool for adjusting the spark timing of an internal combustion engine having an adjustable distributor, comprising a bracket adapted to be attached to a fixed support adjacent the engine, a fixture adapted to be attached to the adjustable part of the distributor, means connecting said fixture and said bracket and arranged for moving the fixture with respect to the bracket, said means including a sliding frictional joint whereby the fixture can'be retained in predetermined position.

3. A tool for adjusting the distributor setting in internal combustion engines, comprising a lever arm, support means forming a fixed iulcrum for the lever arm and constructed and arranged to be secured to a fixed support adjacent the engine, a fixture adapted to be secured to the adjustable part of the distributor and to move therewith, means connecting said fixture with a point on the lever arm spaced from said fixed fulcrum and means for retaining the lever arm, support means and connecting means in fixed movement-resisting relation with respect to each other at any position throughout the range of adjustment of the distributor part.

4. A tool for adjusting the distributor setting in internal combustion engines, comprising a lever arm, a bracket pivotally attached to the lever arm and provided with a clamp adapted to engage a fixed support adjacent the engine, a fixture adapted to be fixed to the distributor, a link connecting said fixture and said lever arm, and means for retaining the lever arm and the link in fixed movement-resisting relation at any position throughout the range of the distributor adjustment.

5. A tool for adjusting the distributor setting in internal combustion engines, comprising a lever arm, a clamping bracket pivotally attached to the lever arm and constructed and arranged to be clamped on a fixed support adjacent the engine, link means plvotally attached at one end to a point on the lever spaced from the point of attachment of the bracket, one 01' said points of attachment being arranged to introduce frictional resistance to movement and means for attachin the other end of the link means to the distributor, so that upon moving the lever the distributor setting is changed and the setting is retained by friction until the lever is again moved.

6. A tool for adjusting the spark timing of an internal combustion engine having an adjustable distributor, comprising a member adapted to be attached to the distributor, a clamping bracket constructed and arranged to be clamped on a fixed part of the engine, a link fastened to the distributor attachment member, means providing a manually adjustable connection between said link andthe bracket, so that the relative position of the link to the bracket can be varied at will, and means for holding the link in a fixed, movement-resisting relation to the bracket at any position throughout the range of adjustment of the distributor.

JOSEPH EDWARD TAYLOR. 

